Red Bulls to play Montreal Impact in friendly

Red Bull New York announced today that it will face the Montreal Impact in a friendly on Wednesday, May 11 at 7:30 PM at Saputo Stadium in Montreal.

With Montreal set to join Major League Soccer in 2012, this will provide soccer fans around the province with a great opportunity to get an early taste of MLS action.

Some well-known faces will take part in this match, including a couple of former FC Barcelona members, French forward Thierry Henry and Mexican defender Rafa Marquez, as well as Canadian goalkeeper Greg Sutton, who played for the Impact from 2001 to 2006.

”I am looking forward to come to Montreal later this year with my teammates to play against the Impact,” said Red Bulls forward Thierry Henry. “I know that the fans in Montreal are devoted to their team and are excited to join MLS in 2012. It should be a great atmosphere at Saputo Stadium.”

"We are excited to play Montreal as they build momentum for joining Major League Soccer next year," said Red Bull New York General Manager and Sporting Director Erik Soler. "Montreal is truly a cosmopolitan city with a great soccer fanbase and we are thrilled to help promote the Impact with this match in May."

“We are very excited to welcome the New York Red Bulls and bring an MLS team to Montreal,” declared Impact president Joey Saputo. “We will have the chance to face one of the original members of MLS, a club that has proved over the years to be a top class organization. This match promises to be a great experience for our fans. As we prepare our club for MLS in 2012, we would like to thank the Red Bulls organization for this opportunity.”

The Red Bulls are entering their 2011 MLS campaign coming off a season which saw them win the Eastern Conference regular season title, completing one of the biggest turnarounds in MLS history. Led by MLS Coach of the Year finalist Hans Backe, the Red Bulls boast international stars Henry and Marquez, MLS Newcomer of the Year finalist Joel Lindpere and recent U.S. Men’s National Team debutants Juan Agudelo and Tim Ream. The Red Bulls play in Red Bull Arena, the premium soccer facility in North America. For more information or to purchase tickets, call 1.877.RBSOCCER or log onto www.newyorkredbulls.com.

Individual tickets for the New York Red Bulls game will go on sale on Thursday, March 10, at 10 am, through Admission (514-790-1245/admission.com) or at the ticketing office of Saputo Stadium. Ticket prices will range between $20 and $50 (plus taxes).